How to Know if You Have H1N1 Flu or a Cold?
October 28, 2009 by Karissa
Filed under Info You Want to Know
My mom asked me yesterday if I would be speaking my mind here about vaccines…. My answer was that I didn’t want to be responsible for someone not getting a vaccine and becoming ill, so I will leave that up to you and your physician. I do however think if you have children that are quite sickly, your are quite sickly and born after 1957 (people born after 1957 typically have an immunity to H1N1) then you should get it. And pregnant women.
BUT to hop down from the short soap box I started to climb… Here are the telltale signs to know what you have when or if you become sick.
Know the Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms
| Symptom | Cold | H1N1 Flu |
| Fever | Fever is rare with a cold. | Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu. |
| Coughing | A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. | A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). |
| Aches | Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. | Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. |
| Stuffy Nose | Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. | Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.. |
| Chills | Chills are uncommon with a cold. | 60% of people who have the flu experience chills.. |
| Tiredness | Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. | Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. |
| Sneezing | Sneezing is commonly present with a cold. | Sneezing is not common with the flu. |
| Sudden Symptoms | Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. | The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. |
| Headache | A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. | A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases. |
| Sore Throat | Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. | Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu. |
| Chest Discomfort | Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.. | Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu. |
If you do think that you or your kids have H1N1, don’t go to work or send them to daycare or school. Just stay indoors, play in your own yard. That is the main reason for everyone else catching it and getting sick. You have to be off any fever reducing medications, and not have had a fever for 24hrs before the CDC considers you to not be contagious.
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oh my melissa! I am starting to feel like the only household that hasn’t had it yet!
glad you are getting healthier now!
I think it is a little scary and so much mixed comments on the H1n1.
Thank you for your information.
This is great information. But just so everyone is aware. You can have a cold and the flu together. So you can experience all the flu like symptoms as well as cold symptoms. And as my Doctor told me yesterday, you can also have the Swine Flu (A) and the Seasonal Flu (B) together as well. My son and I are just both getting over the Swine Flu and I also had symptoms of a cold on top of that. Not Fun. lol